Edinburgh International Culture Summit

The 2nd Edinburgh International Culture Summit 2014 invites Culture Ministers, artists, thinkers and arts leaders from around the world to come together to share ideas and discuss the power, position and profile of the arts, culture and creative industries. The 2014 Edinburgh International Culture Summit has raised significant international interest from global cultural organisations, who join Summit 2014 as new programme partners. Connections are made with Asia through the new partner Asialink from Australia. New programme partners include the Aga Khan Music Initiative (AKMI); United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Committee on Culture - Agenda 21; and Asialink, who will bring a balance of voices representing multiple perspectives to the Summit. In addition, the MIT Media Lab will also collaborate on this event. Together these organisations will bring a fresh wave of interest to complement the unique collaboration of the five founding partners, the British Council; Edinburgh International Festival; Scottish and UK Governments and Scottish Parliament. Set against the incomparable backdrop of the world's greatest cultural events, the Edinburgh Festivals, the Edinburgh International Culture Summit is uniquely placed to facilitate genuine exchange between practitioners and policy-makers. The inaugural Summit in 2012 was a resounding success, with 33 countries attending and a host of leading international artists and cultural commentators taking part. Presenting a significant opportunity for direct and open dialogue between politicians, policy-makers and artists, the Summit provided a forum for in-depth discussion on, and compelling accounts of, the power of the arts and culture to enrich individual lives and transform national ambitions. Summit 2014 will build on these strong foundations to encourage further sharing of ideas, debates and future collaborations. The theme for Summit 2014 is 'Culture - a Currency of Trust', reflecting the Summit's belief in the capacity of the arts and culture to foster mutual understanding between nations, states and cities. The list of speakers for Summit 2014 is announced This year's programme will offer plenary sessions in the Scottish Parliament Debating Chamber which are open to the public via a ballot system, with detailed private policy discussions around three interlinking strands; Values and Measurements, Cities and Culture, and Advocacy and Identity.